Bristol families receive Christmas joy from local college students

Roger Williams University students stand next to the table of presents they will deliver to six Bristol families this Christmas.

Students at Roger Williams University are doing their part to make Christmas a little bit better for some Bristol families this year.

The RWU Student Volunteer Association is conducting a “giving tree” program that will benefit six low-income families from Bristol. More than 25 students in the association received the wish list items from the families — the families all have children at Colt-Andrews School — and created tags for the giving tree. They placed the tree in the dining commons and fellow students purchased the wish list items for the families.

According to a press release from the school, the Roger Williams students went above and beyond, purchasing more items than were included on the tags. In addition to the items they asked for, families will also receive gift cards to the local supermarket or gas station fuel cards. The students also made stockings for each family that include additional toys, playing cards, and other items.

This year the local college students wrapped more than 100 gifts for the Bristol residents. The students will deliver the gifts to the Bristol Good Neighbors Food Pantry on Dec. 10; the items will be distributed shortly thereafter.

The Roger Williams University Student Volunteer Association has organized a giving tree every year since 2002.